NYCReview
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Sadelle's
Included In
For whatever reason, the idea of Jewish appetizing hasn’t evolved much over time. With the exception of Russ & Daughters finally opening a dining room, bagels, lox, eggs, and babka are generally still eaten at places that have been around for generations. And a lot of the time that place is grandma’s living room. Not anymore. Now we have Sadelle’s, and holy sh*t is it incredible.
Welcome to West Broadway Reform, Temple Of Hot Bagels. Sadelle’s is a modern day synagogue you don’t need to be Jewish to belong to, as long as you’re down to pray to the God of Smoked Salmon.
The restaurant comes from Major Food Group (the team behind Carbone, Dirty French, and Santina), and as we’ve grown accustomed to seeing, when they open a new place, they go big. It’s a production. And that’s very much the case at Sadelle’s: bagels and smoked fish are served on grand towers usually reserved for lobster and caviar. The staff wears throwback baking outfits and chant “hot bagels” in unison every time a new batch hits the pegs. The tables are set with the Laguiole cutlery and Le Creuset plates you’ve probably seen on someone’s wedding registry. And in the middle of it all is the bagel-making facility, enclosed in glass as if it were the fish tank housing the biggest, most impressive sharks at the aquarium.
Jewish appetizing in this city has certainly never been this flashy, but it’s also never been this good.
The space is huge, and split up into a sit down restaurant and a take-out bakery where you can get bagels and babka to go. Yes, the lines at the take-out area during prime time are long, but good luck finding an excellent bagel joint in NYC where you won’t have to wait 20 minutes at noon on Saturday. It comes with the territory, and it’s one of the few things New Yorkers seem totally fine with lining up for. If you’re eating in the restaurant, make a reservation, or come on a weekday.
The restaurant section offers a bigger menu, which includes everything from eggs to blintzes to turkey sandwiches to what may be the best french toast in New York City. The dishes are expensive - $17 for an egg sandwich is particularly crazy - but most of them are so good that we’re willing to deal with the inflated prices.
Barney Greengrass, for the first time in like 90 years, you’ve got some competition. Someone send him a fax to let him know.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Babka
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Bagel Sandwich
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Sadelle’s Tower
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Classic Egg Sandwich
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French Toast
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LEO
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Cheese Blintzes
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Matzoh Ball Soup
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Turkey And Roast Beef Double Decker Sandwich
photo credit: Noah Devereaux